Bottom packing for weir-locks



July 14, 1931.

K. ZlMMERMANN BOTTOM PACKING F OR WEIR LOCKS Filed Oct. 4. 1929 Patented July 14,

UNITED STAT S PATLNT, orFrcB KARL ZIMMERMANN, F DARMSTADT, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO MACHINENFABRIK AUGSBUBG-NURNBERG As. G., OF NUREMBERQ, GERMANY, A CORPORATION OF emmm no'r'rou PACKING ron wEm-Locxs Application filed October 4, 1929, Serial No. 397,415, and in Germany October 5, 1928.

This invention relates to a bottom packing for weirs, and has. for its general object to provide means to maintain the bottom packing tight in the event of bulging of the weir under the influence of the water, pres: sure exerted thereagainst.

With the foregoing-and other objects in view, which will become more full apparent as the nature of the invention is bet- V 1 ter understood, the same consists in the novelfeatures of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinaftermore fully described, illustrated in the I accompanying drawing vand defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing, the figure is a transverse .section through a weir of the roller type illustrating the present bottom packing operatively associated therewith. The weir" illustrated in the present instance is of' the roller type comprising a hollow sheet metal. cylinder a which is adapted to be raised and lowered in any suitable or known manner, and in accordance with the present embodiment of the invention, this weir has rigidly secured thereto, as by means of angle-iron members (1, the upper part b of a two-part dam element bc,- the lower part a of which is connected with the upper 0 part b by any suitable form of water tightjoint 6 which permits swinging movement of said lower part relative to saidjupper part. Secured to the weir wis a bracket having a pair of spaced walls or abutments h and i, while pivoted to the lower end por-- tion of the dam part c is one end of a rod g, the other end portion of which extends loosely through apertures in said bracket walls or abutments lo and z.

On the rod g, between the bracket walls or abutments k and i, is a collar m, and between this collar and the wall it is disposed a spring Z which reacts from said abutment 71. against said collar m to force the rod 9 in a direction to swing the dam part 0 outward relative to the weir a.

When the weir is lowered, the dam part a is adapted to contact with the floor of the water channel and to be forced inward relain the event of failure of the spring-Z to sustain the pressure of the water against the dam part 0, opening movement of said dam' part under the influence of the water pressure thereagainst will be limited by engagement of said stop element 9 with the abutment 6.

' On the free end portion of the rod g'is threaded an adjustment nut 0 which is adapted for cooperation with the wall or abutment h to place the spring Z under any desired normal compression, and to predetermine the permissive amount of swinging movement of the dampart 0 relative to the weir, depending upon the water pressure which the dam part a must withstand. A nut p is threaded on the rod 9 for locking engagement with the nut o to secure the latter in any adjusted position.

It will be understood that a plurality of supporting brackets 70 are located at longitudinally spaced intervals along the weir and that each bracket is connected with the dam part 0 by a rod 9- in the manner'heretofore described, whereby the dam part a is yieldably supported at' a plurality of spaced points throughout its length.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, it is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of the. invention will be clearly understood. It is desired to point out, however, that while a certain specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, the invention is readily capable of various other mechanical'embodiments within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1

1. In combination with a weir, a bottom packing therefor comprislng a dam element carried by the weir for swinging movement with respect thereto and adapted to seal against the floor of the water channel controlled by the weir, an abutment on the weir, a strut connected at one end with the'dam element and slidable at its other and through said abutment, an abutment on said strut, and a spring between said abutments reacting from the abutment on the weir against the abutment on the strut to urge the latter ina direction to maintain the dam element sealed against the floor of the water channel.

2. In combination with a weir, a bottom 7 packing therefor comprising a dam element carried by the weir for swinging movement with respect thereto and adapted to seal against the floor of the water channel controlled by the weir, apair of spaced abutments on the weir, a strut connected at one end with the dam element and slidable at its other end through said abutments, a collar on said strut, a spring between said collar and one of said abutments reacting from the latter against the former to urge the strut in a direction to maintain the dam element sealed against the floor of the water 7 channel, and a stop on said strut normally spaced from the other of the abutments and adapted to contact therewith to limit swing.-

ing movement of the dam element under the influence ofexcessive water pressure thereagainst.

3. In combination with a weir, a bottom packing therefor comprising a dam elementcarried by the weir for swinging movement with respect thereto and adapted to seal against the floor of the water channel controlled by the weir, an abutment on the weir, a strut connected at one end with the dam element and slidable at its other and through said abutment, an abutment on said strut, a spring between said abutments reacting from the abutment on the weir against the abutment on the rod to urge the latter in a direction to maintain the dam element sealed against the floor of the water channel, and adjustable means for placing said spring under any desired normal compression.

4. In combination with a weir, a bottom packing therefor comprising a dam element carried by the weir for swinging movement with respect thereto and adapted to seal against the floor of the water channel controlled by the weir, a strut connected with said dam element and extending towards the weir, and spring means interposed between said strut and said weir and reacting from .the latter through said strut to swing the .dam element and thus maintain the latter sealedagainst the floor of the water channel. In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

KARL ZIMLIERMANN. 

